Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission joins IMMAF regulatory group

SAO PAULO – The International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) today welcomed the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission, or Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA), to its list of member commissions.

“This membership is a step forward for MMA everywhere as the world of martial arts turns to Brazil for inspiration,” IMMAF President August Wallen stated today in a press release.

CABMMA will “supervise” its first event at UFC on FX 7, which takes place Saturday at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. (The event’s main-card airs on FX following prelims on FUEL TV and Facebook.)

UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner, who also chairs the IMMAF’s technical committee, on Wednesday passed on news of the commission’s role at the event. He told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that CABMMA had shadowed the promotion during its past three events in Brazil. The CABMMA was one of a handful of parties to apply to the IMMAF several months ago in hopes of representing the country, and the IMMAF approved he application at its most recent board meeting.

Lawyers Giovanni Biscardi (who’s also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt) and Rafael Favetti, who once served in Brazil as executive secretary of the minister of justice and interim minister of justice, head CABMMA.

The commission, which is also dubbed a “federation,” is represented in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Distrito Federal and Parana, the release states. Plans to expand into Sao Paulo, Bahia and Amazonas are underway.

This spring, the commission hosts a national summit in Rio de Janeiro.

“Brazil is a sizable country that is fairly fragmented when it comes to MMA, and no existing organization has had a formal, nationwide position to work from,” IMMAF Director of Communications Erika Mattsson stated. “CABMMA is a fresh start that we believe is needed for MMA to grow. We also have complete faith in the board to represent MMA with the Brazilian government and further the position of MMA among Brazilian sports, ensuring a strong platform for MMA in all of South America.”

Since reestablishing a foothold in the country in 2011, the UFC has self-regulated five events in Brazil while hiring an independent drug testing facility to screen fighters and act as the de-facto athletic commission. Two more events are targeted for May and June, as MMAjunkie.com earlier reported.

In the U.S., the UFC only conducts events in with state-run athletic commissions.

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